I've been in a mood for days. Itchy. The rain reminds me of the September we re-roofed the house. Good times. I should be doing -- what? Something. I don't know. Dismantling the garage, maybe. I made myself submit some things yesterday and I already have a rejection to show for my efforts, which is something, I guess:
"Hi, Charmi, thanks for the poems. Unfortunately, I am going to pass on all of them... this is just a personal preference, but I really love compelling characters reacting to events as they unfold... I love being able to clearly visualize a scene, and I wasn't in any of yours. Thanks anyway."
Nothing compelling, no scenes, no characters, no events. Yes. I know. Nothing particularly compelling is happening, especially in my writing. Give me a moment and I'll stop bitching and get back to work.
When I was a child and I started feeling this way (and driving my family crazy) my grandmother would make me go outside and run around the house five times. Man, I could definitely use grandma today.
11 comments:
So you're not particularly narrative, so what. Go run around the house five times and feel better. :)
It's a little wet for that.
But really, this is the kind of feedback I want/need if I'm going to get better.
I just want to hurry up and get better, quit farting around.
In some cases, though, if it's personal preference, it's not necessarily about being "better," just different. You know this, Charmi, you've told me several times. And I feel you regarding the cabin fever. I don't want summer to be gone!
Yes, I know, personal preference. But there is that knowledge, too, that I'm not nailing it, even in my non-narrative style.
I just want to bitch today, I guess. Having one of those, okay, now what, days. It will pass. I'm much too impatient.
Thanks, ladies.
I'm reminded of a Neil Young song: "Don't Let It Bring You Down."
It sounds like that particular editor has such a narrow view of what poetry should be--and, at least in my mind, if you're trying to pigeonhole poetry like that you probably shouldn't be editing a poetry journal--that he (he? did you specify gender? sounds like something a guy would do) wouldn't know a good poem if it came up and bit him in the ass.
(hmm...and the award for the ugliest sentence ever posted to a blog comment section goes to: me. Yep, I teach English real good...)
I don't know if the editor is a man or woman. The name could go either way, although my original thought was woman. Doesn't really matter, I suppose.
I think Rachel's right. I just have cabin fever, trying to get used to being at home full time, not in school. Just being a whiner.
Sometimes you just need to whine. I understand that feeling that, even within your own aesthetic style, you're not "nailing it." It's a frustrating thing. Hope it works itself out sooner rather than later. :)
Just say "F*ck them and the horse they rode in on"
You're way too much better than they deserve ;-)
*HUGS*
It's nice to have friends ;-)
Today has been a much nicer day. I got another rejection, but I also read a great essay by Louise Gluck that hopefully will help me improve!
Oh, I've come to this too late. Send that thing out to several other places. Your writing has all of the above. Read it again make changes if you see the need, but send it out.
Don't worry, Talia. It was three poems and they're already out at several places. It's all good. I was just in a whiny mood.
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